Arnold teen recovering in Denver hospital

October 28, 2011

By

Ellen Mortensen, Chief Editor

Arnold rescue personnel were called to the scene of an accident Monday, Oct. 17, in the parking area just south of the Arnold School, at 12:30 p.m.
According to the Custer County Sheriffâ€™s Office, the accident occurred when 14-year-old Grace Magill jumped on the hood of a vehicle driven by her 16-year-old sister, Hannah, as it was pulling away from the school. Grace slid off the hood and under the vehicle and was accidentally run over.
Grace was transported to Great Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte, and later flown by helicopter to Denver Health Hospital, where she remained in the Intensive Care Unit as of Monday.
Her father, Jack, told the Chief his daughter is doing better, and was able to be removed from the ventilator Saturday and is breathing well on her own. Grace suffered 12 broken ribs, and Jack says that makes it difficult for her to take deep breaths. He says the focus right now is just to control her pain.
Grace also suffered various tendon and ligament injuries to both knees, and doctors plan to address that issue this week. Jack says doctors were hoping to be able to transfer her out of ICU by mid-week.
A second accident last week also resulted in injuries to an area teen. Wednesday evening, Oct. 19, a single vehicle accident on the Victoria Springs Road injured a 15-year-old girl.
Kelsey Thompson was driving a 2007 Chevy Impala five and a half miles north of Merna at 6:30 p.m., when the vehicle she was passing attempted to pass another vehicle. Thompson lost control and rolled the car, landing on its wheels.
Thompson was transported to Jennie Melham Medical Center in Broken Bow with non-life threatening injuries.